


between the night, night and dawn

by invertedrainbow



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: M/M, and burnie just cracks, because hey this goes both ways, in which burnie and joel are in a friends with benefits thing, joel doesn't seem to mind tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-13
Updated: 2014-01-13
Packaged: 2018-01-08 14:55:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1134008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/invertedrainbow/pseuds/invertedrainbow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was easy to lose himself in that mindset, because Burnie was an extrovert through and through. It was easier, even, to make himself believe that they were good friends, because of work.</p><p>It sucked how much Joel was often wrong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	between the night, night and dawn

When Burnie lost some weight and lost his snoring, Joel became more than willing to accompany him in hotel rooms when they go out of town. Over the course of their friendship, Burnie grew so much in so many ways, and it often made Joel proud, somewhat. Like, _I am friends with this guy. This guy is awesome. He is my friend._

It was easy to lose himself in that mindset, because Burnie was an extrovert through and through. It was easier, even, to make himself believe that they were good friends, because of work.

It sucked how much Joel was often wrong.

 

 

They were sitting on the bed, Joel checking his e-mail and the stock market, grunting in disgust every once in a while, while Burnie checked the site and updated himself with the statistics of the possible audience reach of Red vs Blue Season 12. They were both engrossed with the things they were doing until they were not.

Burnie was done for the night; he slid off the bed to put his Macbook on the table, passing by the mini-bar to get a glass of whisky for him and Joel. Joel was still enamoured with the frustratingly indecent stock market for the night until Burnie pats him on the back to give him the drink. Joel let out a small thanks before he gulped the drink in one go, the liquid burning down his throat.

Joel went back to his affairs while Burnie watched; it was an easy set up for them because they never needed words as much as they did before. They always ended up bickering anyway. Being silent is easy. Safe. Saying anything would disrupt the peace, since often times, a lot of the words dropped were encouraged by alcohol.

And alcohol brought up a lot of stuff.

They continued the night as thus; Burnie pouring himself a drink and doing the same for Joel, Joel not giving two shits about anything else other than the value of gold. But when Joel shut his laptop off and threatened to burn it to the ground, Burnie was quick to grab it from him and lay it down far from his reach. Burnie laughed shortly before going back to bed.

They did this a lot: sleeping together on the same bed. It didn’t matter as much to them anymore because they never really slept as much when they were away from home.

Burnie was facing away from Joel and Joel the same, their backs against each other. Joel felt a little tense but dared not show it; Burnie was the same but it didn’t matter. None of it mattered.

Because after a few minutes, Burnie was embracing Joel from behind. He always did.

“Bad day?” Joel asked, and Burnie nodded. “Sorry.”

“For what?”

“I dunno. I really don’t know what to say.” Joel’s hands were entwined with Burnie’s now; their fingers were linked perfectly and Joel cursed it. “We never really talk as much, you know?”

“Yeah,” Burnie mumbled, his lips ghosting on the back of Joel’s neck. Joel closed his eyes to feel more, but it was fleeting, and Burnie was talking again. “I’m sorry too.”

“It really doesn’t matter, right?” Joel asked, slowly facing Burnie. “It’s not like words are needed in this, remember?”

“Yeah, but—“

And Joel was kissing Burnie; soft, chaste, warm. His hands were cupping Burnie’s cheeks, almost like he was holding him together because he was breaking, and Burnie whimpered against their kiss, wanting more than this. More than kisses, more than skins touching and tensions relieving. More than an excuse to do this with Joel, more than _this_.

Burnie was scared and Joel was too; they were the same in so many things: their hearts beating in an erratic pace, their minds executing every logical output for what they’re doing, their libidos completely rising, their feelings ignored and set aside.

“Joel,” Burnie moaned out, and Joel was quick on understanding what he wanted. “No, no, Joel, you don’t understand—“

He was cut off with Joel’s mouth on his neck: licking, sucking, marking.

“Joel—“

Joel didn’t want to hear it.

“I—“

“Burnie, don’t,” Joel pleaded, scared for his dear life. “You don’t have to say it.”

“I’m sorry,” Burnie apologized, his tone heartbreaking enough for Joel to snap out of his weird fantasy. “I know we said we can’t fall for each other, but—“

“Shut up and kiss me, Burns.”

It was fast and hard and good and _perfect_ , so much so that Burnie was legitimately happy and Joel was, for a crazy moment, too. Joel’s fingers were prying him open, and Burnie was bracing for his dear life, with tears in his eyes and Joel’s name on his lips. Again, and again, and again. He would say Joel’s name again and again and Joel would smile, happily even, because he knew how much it mattered to Joel that he’s feeling this way, feeling like the only thing in the world that he got right was being with Joel, even if it started off as a fling.

Joel came first and helped Burnie finish off, and when they’ve cleaned off the mess they’ve done, Joel was tugging Burnie’s wrist and kissing the pulse, his lips pressed on the very fiber that made Burnie alive. Somehow, he liked that. Joel never really had a reason to live before, and somehow here was Burnie. Perfect, perfect, perfect.

Joel fell asleep with Burnie mumbling the absolute truths: the facts about the earth they are living in, the number of people, the number of people Burnie was in love with, his name, his age, his birthday, where he lives, where he was right now, and he said, “In my arms, because that is cheesy as fuck,” and Joel laughed softly before finally falling asleep.

 

 

Joel was alone when he woke up the next day, but he didn’t matter as much when he found a note where Burnie was supposed to be sleeping.

_I couldn’t sleep so I’m running around wherever_

_Probably be back by 7_

_xxoo, Burnie_

**Author's Note:**

> title is from reflektor by arcade fire
> 
> i don't know how to explain this
> 
> i was sad and i wanted to vent and voila


End file.
